Carding-machine.



s. M. WHITIN. CARDING MACHI NE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 31. 1911.

1,302,109., Patented Alma-29,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

s. M. IWHIT=IN. CARDING MACHINE APPLICATION FILED JULY 3|, 5|?-1302,1090 Patented Apr. 29,1919.

2 SHEETS-+SHEET 2- snonen M. WHITIN; orwnrrnvsvrnnn MASSACHUSETTS;ASSIGNOR To THE WI-II'IIN MACHINE WORKS, or WHIrIivsvILLE;MASSACHUSETTS, A oonroaarron'or MASSA- CHUSETTS.

CARDIN (Fr-MACHINE.

isoaice.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ratenteaapr. as, rare.

Application filed -J'uly 3l, 1917. Serial No. 183,654.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, GEORGE M. VvHITIN,

United States citizen, residing in Whitinsville, Massachusetts, haveinvented th foli lowing described Machines.

In the operation of revolving-top -flat cards, the opposing card-clothedsurfaces of cylinder andflats are desirably set as close as possiblewithout contact, Thisisdone by appropriate adjustment of the'flexiblebends on which the flats travel,.and thet closer the setting, the betterand more eflective will be the carding and the less the waste of goodflber. The closeness of setting is limited however by the tendency ofthe flats to sag or draw downwardly when in action, not withstandingtheir special stiffening elements, and with serious danger of contactand certain injury to the clothing which fact-commonly results in theuse of settings, as a matter of safety, which are much coarser thannecessary and productive" of needlesswaste. This invention seeks topermitcloser settings, by means of an intermediate flexible bend orsupplemental track and special arrangements for supporting theImprovements in Carding- 3 mid-portions of the flats therefrom duringtheir coaction with the cylinder, the said track being subject toadjustment by slight fleXure or otherwise to create a condition ofabsoluteparallelism between flat and cylinder. By this means, either thesetting may be made closer than heretofore or thecard may be built widerto give a larger produc' tion with the settings commonly employed butresulting in improvements in either event. g

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the upper portion of a card embodyingthe invention, familiar parts of the machine being shown only in partialdetail;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section on the line II-II of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary central plan view with portions broken away andin section, looking down upon the lower course of the chain of flats andthe central track or guide.

In these figures, 2 designates the side frames, 3 the card arches, i thecard cylinder, 5 the chain of flats, and 6 the flexible bends supportedfrom the arches by brackets 7, which may be assumed to be equipped withthe usual bend-adjusting devices, not

shown. The chain of flats may be guided on the flexible bends whilerunning in proxim- 1ty to the cylinder and supported: and returnedthrough the upper course all in the manner and by the means usual incarding machines. f

For the support of the intermediate guiding means of the invention,additional brackets 8 are mounted on the outside faces of'the cardarches, between the brackets 7, which they may resemble as respectstheir manner of mounting and adjustment. They are represented asadjusted by the bolts 9, radlally of the arches,.and clamped in adjustedposition by other bolts 10 and there may be as many of such brackets asthe carding area requires to give adequate support. The brackets onopposite sides are cross co11- nected by relatively heavy transversemembers 11, secured by screws 12 to the top flanges 13 of the bracketsand of suitably stifl cross-section. These members extend between theupperand lower courses of the flats, in the intervals unoccupied byother mechanism, and constitute the immediate supports for a centralflexible track or guide member 14, disposed immediately above the lowerflats and having a radiusof curvature larger than that of the flexiblebends, which thus appear withinit, in the side view of Fig. 1. Saidguide member may be of various forms, but the double channel or I-beamshown in Fig. 2 is specially suitable, since'it provides, in the lowersides 15 of itslateral recesses, two track-ways for two sets ofsuspension lugs 16, projecting from the middle'portionsofthe backs ofthe flats. These surfaces of the channels 15 are accura'telymachined, asare also the under-cut bearing faces of the lugs 16 which ride uponthem. The track 1 1- is firmly bolted to the transverse members 11 bythe screws 18 which are threaded into the heavy web of the track, andits curvature as well as its radial position are subject to variation bythe adjustment of the brackets 8 on which the trans verse members arecarried.

The suspension lugs 16, it will be observed are disposed in alternatestaggered relation upon the successive flats in the chain there beingone lug to each flat, at one side of the track, as shown by Fig. 3, andin this way an adequate clearance is provided between the lugs as theflats round the rollers. at the ends of the courses. The lugs themselvesare formed with plate-like bodies 19 riveted to thickened seats 20 onthe webs of the flats, their heads, which engage the central track,being widened to afford a maximum bearing surface thereupon. It will beunderstood that the two sets of track members, that is to say theflexible bends and the intermediate bend or central track, are adjustedin relation to each other and to the card cylinder, so that all theopposing carding surfaces shall have the desired and equal clearance.

Claims:

1. In a revolving flat card, a curved suspension track, and means forsuspending the flats from the track while passing beneath it through theportion of their travel in proximity to the cylinder.

2. In a revolving flat card, a. curved supporting track over theintermediate portions of the flats, where they travel in proximity tothe cylinder, and suspension lugs on the flats engaging said track.

3. In a revolving flat card, the combination of brackets rising from theframework of the machine at opposite sides, transverse members carriedby the brackets passing across the machine between the upper and lowercourses of the flats, and supporting and guiding means for the lowerflatscarried by said transverse members.

4. In a revolving flat card, the combina tion with the card arches,flexible bends supported by brackets thereon, and a chain of flatsguided at their ends on the flexible bends, of other brackets on thearches, transverse members carried by these brackets between the coursesof the flats, an intermedi ate suspension track carried by said members,and lugs on the backs of the flats to engage therewith.

5. In a revolving flat card, the combination with card arches, flexiblebends adjustably supported therefrom, and a chain of flats guided attheir ends upon said flexible bends, of transverse members passingbetween the courses of the flats likewise adjustably supported from thearches, an intermediate curved supporting track over the active courseof the bends carried by said transverse members and adjustable throughtheir connection therewith, and lugs on the backs of the flats adaptedto travel on said intermediate track while the ends of the flats restand move upon the flexible bends.

6. In a revolving flat card having flexible bends and a chain of flatstraveling thereon at their ends, the combination of an inermediatecurved flexible support over the flats and possessed of a lateralbearing ledge, and lugs on the backs of the flats having bearing facesto engage over and travel upon said ledge at the same time that the endsof the flats are guided upon the flexible bends.

7. In a revolving flat card, the combination with a chain of flats, ofan intermediate flat-supporting track, having opposite lateral bearingledges, and bearing faces on the backs of the flats disposed inalternation at opposite sides of the center of the track and engagedwith the ledges thereof.

8. In a revolving flat card, the combination with a chain of flats, ofan intermediate curved guide over the active course of the flats, andlugs on the backs of the flats disposed in alternate staggered relationand adapted to engage over opposite sides of the guide.

9. In a revolving flat card, the combination with a chain of flats, ofintermediate curved guiding means over the active course of the flats,and lugs in staggered relation upon the backs of the flats forengagement with said guiding means.

10. In a revolving flat card, the combination of flexible guidingsupports beneath the ends of the lower flats, and intermediatesuspension guiding means for said flats.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

GEORGE M. WVHITIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

